6th January

1977: Ineffable coolness from Gladys Knight & The Pips, Knight having taken care to invest in a lurid green scarf to counteract the British winter. Compare to the workaday look of Smokie, who bought themselves a lightbox with the income from their success. And then throw away all your working in the face of Boney M, who clearly had no idea before arrival they were supposed to be singing live to the orchestra's attempt at disco. Never has the infamously dubbed on record Bobby Farrell's lack of comfort, exacerbated by his lack of space and necessity to keep some energy back for the vocals, been more apparent. Never knew there was a mariachi section in the middle.

1983: once again, Bucks Fizz' Jay Aston got to the cut-offs wardrobe first. Excellent lateral thinking for the boys, safari suits to represent If You Can't Stand The Heat. No such subtlety for Pete Wylie, adopting the towel across the shoulders of 80s smoothness legend for Wah!'s The Story Of The Blues

1994: The thirtieth birthday show, again, though starting it with Things Can Only Get Better doesn't augur well for a show's self-imagine, "first rave-up of the year" or not. And, if you were wondering, no it isn't him.